Fire-extinguishing device for film-cabinets



JR. I 1 FIRE EXTINGUISHING DEVICE FOR FILM CABINETS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 1,345,509.

. SALMON 1916. RENEWED JAN. 16.1920.

Patented July 6, 1920.

i I lIIIIIIIIIIIIIlI/l E. w. SALMON, JR. FIRE EXTINGUISHING DEVICE FOR FILM CABINETS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, I9I6- RENEWED JAN. I6. I920- 1,34:5,509. Patented y 6, 1920. I 3 SHEETSSHEET 2- a? 6d 30 a5 27 z. 37

zz-f 9 E. W. SALMON, In. FIRE EXTINGUISHING DEVICEFOR FILM CABINETS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE I9, 1916. RENEWED JAN. 16.,1920.

attozucq 3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

Patented July 6, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD W. SALMON, JR, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO HULL, SALMON,

' MFG. 00., INC F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHING DEVICE FOR FILM-CABINETS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6,1920.

Application filed June 19, 1916, Serial No. 104,436. Renewed January 16, 1920. Serial No. 352,387.

To all whom it mayconce'rn Be it known that I, EDWARD W. SALMON, J r., a citizen of the United States,residing at 1828 VVilkens avenue, in the city of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Extinguishing Devices for "Film- Cabinets, of which the following is a specibeen used, may be conveniently refilled with This invention relates to an improvement in fire extinguishing devices for film cablnets.

An object is to provide the container with a device whereby fire in the container Wlll be extinguished without opening the container or without the necessity of-the operafrom one to another compartment prevented.

Another object of the invention is to provide an extinguishing mechanism for a film cabinet which may be readily removed from the cabinet and which, after the same has a fire extinguishing medium and replaced.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully, described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportion and minor details without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section, the reel supporting means being illustrated in dotted lines in its raised position;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view partly in section;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view ofthe cap which is adapted to contain the extinguishingfluid;

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the latch member; and

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view illustrating the manner of spacing the rings 30.

In the drawings, 10 and 11 designate standards provided at their base with feet .12.. The upper ends of these standards are standard is formed with a ring 16, the lower member A having inwardly directed flanges 1 I 17 which support plates 18, thus providing two carbon racks. The intermediate portion of these members are connected by a substantially rectangular box 19 provided with a lid 20, said box providing a receptacle for burnt carbons. This structure is preferably a single casting, the four rings being cast with the rectangular box and bolted or otherwise secured to the standards.

Attention is called to the fact that this supporting structure, consisting of the spaced standards 10 and 11 and the connecting casting formed by the members A and B, provides a substantial base structure which will not readily be knocked over, although at the same time, said base will occupy a comparatively small space.

As stated above, one of the objects of thepresent invention is to provide a cabinet adapted to house film reels and in the form illustrated, a four-reel cabinet is shown. This cabinet consists of a series of compartments A, B, C and D, each compartment being spaced from the adjacent compartment by a relatively thick circular sheet of asbestos 21, these asbestos partitioning members being of a diameter slightly greater than the reel which is received within the compartment.

An annular casting 22 is supported at each end of the base, each of said castings being formed with a lug 24 provided with a bolt opening 25. These rings or castings 22, in assembling the cabinet, are connected by a bolt 26, which passes through the lugs 24 and the upper ends of the standards 10 and 11. i

The rings 22 are formed with inwardly directed continuous flanges 28, which embrace the adjacent asbestos disks 21, which constitute the end walls of the cabinet. A plurality of supporting rings 29 are provided, which are identical in construction. Each ring 29 is provided on one face with a continuous flange 30 adapted to embrace the adjacent asbestos disk21 at its periphery. the reversed face of the being formed with a continuous flange 31 of greater width than the flange 30 for the purpose presently explained. The rings, for approximately one-half their circumference, are formed with inwardly directed flanges 32 disposed at right angles to and between the flanges 30 and 31. Each of said rings 29 is formed with laterally directed lugs 34, (Fig. 6) whereby the rings are spaced a suflicient dis tance to permit of the insertion of a reel between the disks 21.

A semi-circumferential plate 33 is inserted between each pair of rings, resting on the aforesaid flanges 31, and constituting the bottoms of the compartments, there being a semicircumferential sheet of fibrous mate rial 34 placed upon each plate '33.- The aforesaid inwardly directed flanges 32 have their inner edges terminating short of the inner surfaces of said semi-circumferential fibrous sheets 34'.

A flanged member 35 of a width slightly less than the distance between the opposed rings 29 is hingedly mounted on a rod 36 carried in lugs 37, which are formed integral with the rings. This member constitutes a closure for the compartment and supports a reel lifting mechanism E. The closure, as well as the reel support, are substantially identical with the closure and reel support shown in my copending application 44,775,

filed August 10, 1915, and a detail description of said mechanism is thought to be unnecessary. It will be understood that one or any number of compartments may be built up in this manner and each provided with a closure and reel-lifting mechanism, the side walls of the compartments being spaced by the fibrous disks 21. v

Should a reel in one compartment be ignited, the reels in the adjacent compartment cannot become ignited by flame or heat, unless the closures of said compartments are lifted, the base, as well as the sides of the compartments, being protected by asbestos.

It sometimes occurs that after a reel has been placed within a cabinet, that the same is ignited through contact with a spark with in the compartment orin some other manner, and as stated above, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide means for extinguishing fire in the compartments or other fibrous material and there being no metallic connection between the parts constituting the base and no metal exposed in the base to be contacted with by the metal reels.

The extinguishing mechanism consists of a hollow cap 38 preferably formed of metal and of a width slightly less than the width of the closure, whereby the same may fit between the flanges of the closure. This cap is provided at each end with a downwardly extending flange 39, which bears against the closure, the cap being secured to the closure rubber.

in any suitable manner, but preferably, as illustrated, by a screw 40 which passes through the closure and through the bottom wall 42 of the cap.

This bottom wall 42 preferably slants toward the center for drainage purposes and is provided with a threaded aperture which receives a hollow threaded plug 43. Rising from the plug 43 is a vent tube 44 terminating in a cup 45. '1 his tube rises above the liquid or other fire extinguishing material so as to overcome any possibility of a vacuum in the cap 38, and thereby insure positive flow of the liquid or gas into the container or respective compartment of the container upon release of the valve disk 51 in a manner hereinafter explained. The plug 43 is hollow, as at 46, and provided with a plurality of apertures 47, to establish communication between the interior of the cap and the interior of the container through an opening 48 formed in the closure, the end of the plug when the cap is in position, as illus trated in Fig. 1 projecting within this opening in the closure for the container or compartment.

Arranged within the vent tube 44 of the plug is a coiled spring 49, one of the terminal convolutions of which bears against a pin 50, which is inserted through the tube. The plug 43, as before stated, is hollow and supported within said hollow plug, in a man- I ner which will be presently described, is a valve disk 51, which is preferably formed of Mounted on one side of the lower end of the plug is ashort pin 43 which is provided with a suitable head and disposed on the other side of the block is a relatively long pin 43", which is also provided with a head. A coiled spring 52 is placed within the plug under compression and a relatively thin disk 53 forced in contact with the same. This disk is concavo-convex, the convex face being opposite to the spring. WVith the spring under compression, a latch member in the nature of a toggle, is inserted between the pins 43 and 43. This latch member consists of a short link 54 which is substan tially semi-circular in cross section, its terminal being notched to embrace the pin 43, and engaged beneath the head thereof. This short link supports a transverse pin 55 and pivotally mounted on said pin is a link 56, the free terminal of which, is notched to engage beneath the head of the pin 43. It will be seen that when the links are placed with their notched terminals against the pins and their body portions broughttogether, as shown in Fig. 4, the coiled spring 52 will be held compressed.

The links are held in this position, that is parallel to each other,,preferably by bending a piece of fuse wire F about the same or tying them together with a piece of fuse cord, thus the disk 51 is held in contact with .a suitable fire extinguishing material.

the plug closing the openings 47. It will be seen that as the concave side of the disk is opposed to the links, the cord or Wire may readily be brought in position to embrace 'thedisk 51 effecting the closure of the openings 47 and the opening through the vent tube 49. I

With the closure of the compartment brought to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, should the reel be ignited the fusible means which holds the pivotally -con--' nected members 54 and 56 together will melt. The spring 52 which has maintained the disk 51 in position will force the members 54 and 56 apart and the spring 49,which is located within the tubular extension of the plug, will kick the disk 51 out of position and the extinguishing material will pass down into the cabinet through the open ings 47, the air which is. admitted through the vent tube 44 centrally of the plug, acting upon the fluid to eject the same from the cap. It will be seen that the compartment may thus be effectually flooded witIh t will also be noted that the structure of the thermostatically controlled outlet is such that the various parts may be reassembled and the cap refilled with fire extinguishing material.

What is claimed is 1. A film cabinet including a casing, a the extinguishing containing fluid receptacle mounted on said casing and having communication therewith,.a disk disposed to close communication between the receptacle and the casing, a spring beneath the disk, means to maintain said spring normally compressed including pivotally connected links, a concavo-convex disk disposed betweenthe lower end of the spring and said links, and fusible means for holding said links together.

2. film cabinet including a casing, a receptacle mounted on the casing, said receptacle and easing being provided with alining openings, a plug threaded into one of said openings, headed pins projecting from said plug, a disk mounted in said plug to close communication between the receptacle and the casing, pivotally connected links, each link having a notch in its outer end to engage the aforesaid headed pins, a normally compressed spring arranged between the disk and the links, a concavoconvex disk between the links and the spring, and fusible means for holding said links together.

3. A film cabinet including a casing, a receptacle mounted on the casing, said receptacle and easing being provided with alining openings, a plug threaded into one of said openings, headed pins projecting from said plug, a disk mounted in said plug to close communication between the receptacle and the casing, pivotally connected links, each link having a notch in its outer end to engage the aforesaid headed pins, and a normally compressed spring arranged between the disk and the links.

4. A film cabinet including a casing, a receptacle mounted on the casing, said receptacle and casing being provided with alining openings, a plug threaded into one of said openings, headed pins projecting from said plug, a disk mounted in said plug to close communication between the re- .ceptacle and the casing, pivotally connected end to engage the aforesaidheaded pins, a

normally compressed spring arranged between the disk and the links, a concavoconvex disk between the links and the spring, fusible means for holding said links together, and a vent tube in said receptacle whose lower end is normally closed by the .first mentioned disk.

5. A film cabinet including a casing, a receptacle mounted on the casing, said receptacle and easing being provided with alining openings, a plug threaded into one of said openings, headed pins projecting from said plug, adisk mounted in said plug to close communication between the re ceptacle and the casing, pivotally connected links, each link having a notch in its outer end to engage the aforesaid headed pins, a normally compressed spring arranged between the disk and the links, a concavo-convex disk between the links and the spring, fusible means for holding said links together, a vent tube'in said receptacle whose lower end is normally closed by the first mentioned disk, and a spring arranged within the vent tube adapted to displace said disk upon breakage of the fusible means.

6. A film cabinet comprising spaced walls formed of fire proof material, a closure for the cabinet, there being an opening formed in the closure, a cap mounted on the closure above-said opening, a plug carried by the cap and projecting through said opening, said cap being adapted to contain a fire extinguishing material, and means carried by that portion of the plug which projects through the closure and adapted to be acted upon by heat to establish communication between the cap and the cabinet.

7. In a film cabinet, a supporting structure, a compartment mounted on said structure, a receptacle supported on the compartment and adapted to contain a fire extinguishing fluid, a plug threaded into the re ceptacle and projecting into the compartment, openings in the plug whereby to establish communication between the receptacle and the compartment, a disk forming a closure for said openings, resilient means supported by the plug and normally tending to force said disk away from said openings, resilient means engaging the disk to maintain the same in position to close the openings, hingedly connected members engaging the plug to maintain the last mentioned resilient means in position, and fusible means normally maintaining said members in engagement with the plug.

8. A film cabinet including a casing, a re ceptacle mounted on said casing, said receptacle and casing being provided with alining openings, a plug threaded into the receptacle, a disk mounted in said plug and disposed to close communication between the receptacle and the casing, pivotally con nected links for maintaining said disk in position, and fusible means for holding said links together.

9. In a film cabinet, a casing, a receptacle mounted on the casing, said receptacle and easing being provided with registering openings, a plug threaded into the receptacle and having a reduced extension disposed to project within said receptacle, there being openings formed in said plug whereby to establish comnmnication between the receptacle and the casing, a disk adapted to form a closure for said openings, resilient means mounted in said tubular extension and tending to normally maintain said disk away from said openings, resilient means for normally forcing said disk toward said-openings to closethe same, a plurality of pivotally connected members engaging the last mentioned resilient means and the plug to maintain the said resilient means, compressed and fusible means engaging said members to maintain the same in engage ment with the plug, whereby to hold the last mentioned resilient means under compression.

10. A film cabinet comprising a casing, a cap secured to the casing, said cap and casing being provided with registering openings, the cap being adapted to contain a fire extinguishing fluid, a plug threaded into the opening of the cap, said plug being formed with an extension projecting within the cap and openings, whereby to establish comnuinication between the interior of the cap and the casing, a disk adapted to form a closure for said openings, a spring housed within said tubular extension and bearing against said disk to force the same away from the openings, a spring engaging the disk to maintain the same in contact with the plug to close the openings, a cone-avoconvex disk engaging the second mentioned spring, pivotally connected members engaging the last mentioned disk and plug to maintain the last mentioned resilient means under compression whereby to close the openings in the plug, and fusible means embracing said pivotally connecting members to hold the same in engagement with said disk and with the plug, whereby to maintain the last mentioned resilient means under compression.

11. A film cabinet comprising a casing, a hinged closure for said casing, said closure being formed with an opening, a cap secured to the closure and provided with a threaded opening alining with the opening of the closure, a plug threaded into said cap and having a tubular extension adapted to project within the cap, a disk mounted within the plug, said plug being provided with openings, whereby to establish communication between the same and the casing, said disk normally forming a closure for said openings, resilient means housed within the tubular extension of the plug and bearing against said disk to force the same away from said openings, resilient means engag ing the opposite face of the disk to maintain the same in engagement with the plug whereby to close the openings, a concaveconvex disk having its convex face opposed to the last mentioned resilient means, a plurality of pins supported by the plug, pivotally connected members having bifurcated terminals adapted to engage said pins and 95 the last mentioned disk to maintain the last mentioned resilient means compressed, and fusible means engaging said pivotally connected members to lock the same together, whereby to maintain the same in contact 100 with the plug and with the last mentioned disk.

12. The combination with a container provided with an opening, of a hollow cap for containing fire extinguishing liquid secured 105 to the container, a plug secured to the cap and extending into said opening and provided with openings to establish communication between the cap and container, a

valve disk normally closing the openings of the plug, and fusible means to maintain the valve disk in position over the openings of the plug.

18. The combination with a container provided with an opening, of a hollow cap for containing fire extinguishing liquid secured to the container, a plug secured to the cap and extending into said opening and provided with openings to establish communication between the cap and container, a valve disk normally closing the openings of the plug, fusible means to maintain the valve disk in position over the openings 'of the plug, and a vent tube connected to the plug and normally closed by said valve disk.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

EDWARD W. SALMON, JR. 

